EPA cuts labeled 'assault' by environmentalists

Environmental groups are calling the spending plan passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on Saturday "an assault on the American people."

Steve Tarter

Environmental groups are calling the spending plan passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on Saturday "an assault on the American people."

The bill, passed by a vote of 235-189, bars the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from taking any action to clean up pollutants from coal-fired power plants, oil refineries and factory farms, said Henry Henderson, Midwest director for the Natural Resources Defense Council from his Chicago office.

"This is a full frontal assault on protections of our air and water that we've had in this country for 40 years - and not just on the EPA," he said.

The measure, featuring $61 billion in spending cuts, that now goes to the Senate, includes:

"In 1995, after Republicans took over the House, there were a series of attacks on environmental laws but not in this form," said Henderson.

The difference is that these cuts are part of a continuing resolution, he said. "Essentially, there's been no debate, no reasoned review of the impact of these cuts," said Henderson.

Pressure to pass a budget to keep the government running could force "a train wreck," he said.

The EPA has been targeted in a number of ways. One amendment offered would prevent the agency from collecting basic data on what's being dumped into the air while another prevents the EPA from setting any limits on emissions of chemicals such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide.

An amendment that was withdrawn - initially introduced by Rep. Aaron Schock, R-Peoria - would have prevented the EPA from spending any funds to evaluate the safety of the herbicide atrazine.

"The attitude of some of these cuts not only restricts the ability to regulate possible air and water pollution. We don't even want to look at the problem," said Henderson.

As to the charge that it's "open season" on the EPA, Adam Nielsen, an official with the Bloomington-based Illinois Farm Bureau, responded that "it's been open season on agriculture long enough."

Nielsen, the bureau's director of national legislation, cited 20 areas of concern for U.S. agriculture with the agency. "(Under proposed EPA regulations), 100 U.S. farms would have to report emissions," he said.